True Incident - Darwin Award

FlashDrive (Poppy) · #1 24-07-2020, 01:10 PM

Darwin Award for this Bloke.

This bloke was mowing his lawn and he had a Hedge that needed ' clipping '

He didn't have any Hedge Clippers... so to improvise he picks up his motor mower sideways and proceeds to trim his Hedge.

As he tries this , he looses the ' tips ' of his fingers ..!!

Don't try this at Home

glend (Glen) · #2 24-07-2020, 01:21 PM

Classic. Thanks Col.

Granada · #3 24-07-2020, 02:54 PM

That sounds horrible!
I could have had a similar experience recently. Went to Bunnings to ask for advice on what would be the best tool to demolish some garden beds. Bloke recommended an angle grinder and a special blade for cutting wood. Expected him to recommend a reciprocating saw but thought he probably knows what he's talking about. Got home, decided to watch some videos on how to safely operate an angle grinder and subsequently learnt that you should never use an angle grinder on wood because it will toss the grinder back at you. Went back to Bunnings, got a full refund. The bloke that refunded me was shocked to hear about the advice I received.

blindman · #4 24-07-2020, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Granada

That sounds horrible!
I could have had a similar experience recently. Went to Bunnings to ask for advice on what would be the best tool to demolish some garden beds. Bloke recommended an angle grinder and a special blade for cutting wood. Expected him to recommend a reciprocating saw but thought he probably knows what he's talking about. Got home, decided to watch some videos on how to safely operate an angle grinder and subsequently learnt that you should never use an angle grinder on wood because it will toss the grinder back at you. Went back to Bunnings, got a full refund. The bloke that refunded me was shocked to hear about the advice I received.

In most cases, TEAM MEMBERS (just mean excuse not to show responsibility) wouldn't have a clue, what they are selling, and that's why Ia m guessing, they are hiding in isles, running away from customers.

xelasnave · #5 25-07-2020, 08:26 AM

For whatever reason this story reminded me of a radio call in where "The wife" told of a day her father was about to weld a petrol tank when her boyfriend now her husband arrived and impressed Dad by pointing out that fumes may remain in the tank and welding may cause an explosion..he went on to suggest they use the vacuum cleaner to remove the fumes...can you guess how that went?
Alex

astroron (Ron) · #6 25-07-2020, 08:51 AM

True story! we really did have a guy taken to hospital in an helicopter because he cut off a big branch he was standing on with a chain saw.

Fell 10 meters and broke some ribs an arm and a leg.
He was lucky the chain saw went in another direction.
He has had a couple of trips in the ambulance chopper for
other "Darwin" actions.
Cheers

xelasnave · #7 25-07-2020, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by astroron

True story! we really did have a guy taken to hospital in an helicopter because he cut off a big branch he was standing on with a chain saw.

Fell 10 meters and broke some ribs an arm and a leg.
He was lucky the chain saw went in another direction.
He has had a couple of trips in the ambulance chopper for
other "Darwin" actions.
Cheers

When I was thinking to cut down the trees around here that needed to go I started watching tree felling follies on YouTube...very entertaining...and sufficient to have me get someone in to do the job. Hope you are safe and well Ron.
Alex

multiweb (Marc) · #8 25-07-2020, 10:59 AM

Any rotating power tool with a bit of torque is extremely dangerous when it jams. That's why there are precise safety instructions and plenty of people with busted eyes or missing fingers walking around. Natural selection.

wayne anderson (Wayne) · #9 25-07-2020, 11:43 AM

Many years ago i was working in construction and a new guy joined the team.

While welding prefabricated steel framework into position on a wall inside a building we were using a plumb bob to get framework close to square before welding, his comment,
"you can't use that the earth is spining and it will spin it out at an angle sideways"
Thats Strike 1:

Then we were screwing sheets of ply onto a wall 10 meters up on scaffolding, each of us with lots of screws in a nail bag around our waist, when he dropped a screw rather than get another from the bag he would climb down 10 meters of scaffolding spend 5 minutes looking for the lost screw then climb back up only to repeat the process again and again.
Thats Strike 2:

Finally when using a power saw to cut a length of wood he placed his arm under the wood in the area about to be cut by the saw i ran to the power lead and unplugged it just 5mm before it reached his arm, he had no idea he was about to cut his arm off.
Thats Strike 3:Your out:

He was sent home after only 4 hours never to work with us again.

astroron (Ron) · #10 25-07-2020, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xelasnave

When I was thinking to cut down the trees around here that needed to go I started watching tree felling follies on YouTube...very entertaining...and sufficient to have me get someone in to do the job. Hope you are safe and well Ron.
Alex

Yes Alex,it pays in spades to get someone who knows what he s doing when it comes to chopping down trees etc.
I have a friend who is an "expert",well known to a few of the older members of iceinspace.

All well here Alex,I hope you're as well.

Cheers

drylander (Peter) · #11 25-07-2020, 01:43 PM

Many years ago my late brother, a boilermaker with pressure welding certification, needed to repair the fuel tank on his car prior to returning home in the outback. He removed the tank flushed it with water and set about getting ready to weld it when my father and I suggested to solder it. 'I know what I'm doing' he answered and struck the arc. we were well away when the fuel tank whizzed past his head removing his welding helmet. When he regained his hearing he suggested he may need to buy a new tank and arrive a little late for work. He would never weld a used fuel tank after that for anybody.
Pete

AndyG (Andy) · #12 25-07-2020, 02:31 PM

My Parents' Neighbour decided to open up some empty steel diesel drums with a grinder. Not washed out, needless to say. The contents of his shed was thrown across the yard. My parents heard the explosion from 2km away. Unfortunately, what was left of him remained alive for a few hours.

multiweb (Marc) · #13 25-07-2020, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndyG

My Parents' Neighbour decided to open up some empty steel diesel drums with a grinder. Not washed out, needless to say. The contents of his shed was thrown across the yard. My parents heard the explosion from 2km away. Unfortunately, what was left of him remained alive for a few hours.

I knew a bloke back home who did that. Got chopped in two. Discarded tanks and drums look harmless. Until you see what happens. Once. Other death traps are cherrypickers and elevating platforms, the scissorlift types. The old guillotine has nothing on it.

FlashDrive (Poppy) · #14 25-07-2020, 04:57 PM

a BIG NO NO while in the Airforce ...never never ever ' pump ' up a new Aircraft Tyre while it's still in its wooden crate...if the Tyre explodes ... well you can guess the rest.

another .... never ever take out the ' pins ' that are installed on the under carriage main landing ' squat switches ' ... because if you do ( and we have photos of what happens ) ...... if some unsuspecting Airframe Technician who happens to be in the cockpit decides to test some hydraulics and ' throws ' the landing gear switch as part of a test run ..... s#it will hit the fan BIG TIME ... IMAGINE THIS ...one Aircraft lying on the ground ...it has happened ... seen a Canberra Bomber and a Maritime Neptune Recon' Aircraft laying on their ' bellys ' .

( if the AC is up on ' jacks ' ... by all means cycle the LG Switch as much as you like )

Col

spiezzy · #15 25-07-2020, 05:42 PM

i told you the zombie apocalypse is here

:lol

leon · #16 26-07-2020, 06:43 AM

I was present when a few blokes were trying to drag a 4x4 out of a bog which had a fairly steed incline.

One driver pulled up rear first with his 4x4 and proceeded to run out the cable, hooked it to the proper anchor points of the bogged machine and then hooked the other end to his tow ball.

As the tension grew and the bogged 4x4 was going nowhere the tow ball snapped off the pulling 4x4 and went straight through the front windshield and out the back window of the bogged vehicle, missed the driver by centimeters .

can you imagine the tension on that cable, like a rubber band.

Wow scary stuff, this procedure has actually killed people.

Leon

GrahamL · #17 26-07-2020, 09:55 AM

You can't cure stupid or reason with it unfortunately.

https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2020-...wuEPYAM_Xg39GA

FlashDrive (Poppy) · #18 26-07-2020, 10:11 AM

Risk sickness over a donut .....

Beyond belief what some people will do

fsphotography (Frank) · #19 26-07-2020, 10:54 AM

Friend of a friend here in Geelong decided to remove a large branch from gum tree on his nature strip. Leaned extention ladder [at full extention]on the offending branch and climbed to the top with chain saw,you guessed it,cut the branch on the wrong side of the ladder. Broke both wrists trying to break his fall when he hit the road below. True story.

xelasnave · #20 26-07-2020, 01:13 PM

The accident that frequently occurs is dieing a rope around a limb with rope up in the tree putting the ladder on the trunk and sawing the branch..seems reasonable but the limb always swings down and takes out the ladder.
The YouTube videos I mentioned I conclude falling trees are attracted to house roofs.
Alex